Top 10 Reasons You Can’t Miss Dan’s Harvest East End

Geoffrey Zakarian

July 29, 2015 by Wallace Figg

There is only one night a year when the Who’s Who of East End Wine Country—the winemakers, the vineyard owners, the Long Island Wine Council—come together to celebrate the industry and the local vintages with food-and-wine lovers like you. That night is Dan’s Harvest East End, held this year on Saturday, August 22, at McCall Vineyard and Ranch in beautiful Cutchogue. The annual can’t-miss tasting event has drawn celebrities, world-renowned oenophiles, government dignitaries and even New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to the one-of-a-kind experience.

Bigger Is Better! There’s no larger gathering of East End wineries. Visiting a few wineries on a Saturday afternoon is great. Visiting 39 wineries under one tent on one Saturday night is better.

Harvest’s First Ever Celebrity Chef Host:Geoffrey Zakarian, cohost of Food Network’s The Kitchen and judge on Chopped, will be heading up the festivities and meeting-and-greeting this year on the North Fork.

Giving Back: In addition to supporting the Long Island Wine Council, a portion of proceeds benefits local charities—this year’s beneficiaries are HRHCares, Peconic Land Trust and LI Farm Bureau.

VIP, VIP, VIP: If you loved the VIP experience at Dan’s Taste of Two Forks—or missed it, since VIP tickets to Taste of Two Forks sold out weeks before the event—you won’t want to miss the VIP treatment at Harvest East End. VIP guests are afforded early entry to Dan’s Harvest East End—start sipping and savoring a full hour early—plus access to the VIP lounge (where you’ll enjoy exclusive pours not offered anywhere else at the event), a VIP swag bag and more.

The Ultimate Auction: The annual Harvest East End auction ups the ante this year, offering guests not just the opportunity to take home a jeroboam (that’s more than 3 liters of vino!) or special bottle, but also one-of-a-kind experiences with local wineries and winemakers.

Honor a Culinary Legend: Mirabelle Restaurant has been a destination for fine-food aficionados for decades, and now Chef Guy Reuge, a James Beard-nominated chef and recipient of the prestigious Toque d’Argent award, will be honored for his contributions to the culinary world at Harvest East End. And, lucky you, Mirabelle will also be serving tastes under the tent.

Barrel Tastings: An experience you cannot get anywhere other than Dan’s Harvest East End! Every winery will be bringing barrel offerings of the 2014 vintage—but you can only raise those glasses if you’re at the event.

Perfect Pairings: Whether you love fine cheeses and a chardonnay, or grilled meats with a merlot, you’ll be able to create your own perfect pairing of local wine with terrific local food as you enjoy tastings served by more than 35 restaurants from Greenport to Mattituck to Montauk…to Shelter Island…to Bridgehampton…to Port Jefferson…to…

Meet the Makers: Have you ever wanted to talk about Wölffer Rosé with Roman Roth? Harvest East End is the ultimate atmosphere for meeting and speaking with winemakers, top chefs, industry personalities and fellow foodies.

The Perfect Locale: Can you picture a more ideal setting for an evening of enjoying the bounty of the East End than the bucolic surroundings of McCall Vineyard and Ranch? We can’t, either. See you there!

Dan’s Harvest East End is Saturday, August 22, at McCall Vineyard and Ranch in Cutchogue. VIP entrance is 6:30 p.m., general admission begins at 7:30 p.m. For tickets and more information, go to DansTasteofSummer.com.